Saturday, April 05, 2014

I started my last piece with the admission of an error. I once said that the Retweet makes Twitter powerful. I was wrong. I made sure to rectify that error by discussing Twitter’s accessibility power.

Boy was I wrong again.

I had no idea the piece would usher in viewers from all over the world. For those visitors that decide to stay around a while, I’m honoured. I hope I can keep it up.

I also had no idea that the piece would strike some hearts. Two absolutely fantastic[1] articles were written in response to “Hey! It’s Me, The Little Guy”. Scotty Loveless over at Overthought.org penned a thought-provoking creed that all of us would benefit by reading. And Conor McClure quickly showcased the less bright side of Twitter’s accessibility.[2]

In short, they both defined “success” in two totally different ways. And I’m appalled with myself for not recognizing both. For that I’m sorry.

Like the Retweet, the Favourite[3] is a superb form of flattery. It highlights those 140-character blurbs that hit someone’s heart. Venturing through a list of favourited tweets is much like strolling down memory lane in a Day One. To be a part of that is extremely humbling.

Since I started The Newsprint, Twitter has opened up a world of fellow self-publishers who are keen to interact, compliment and aid in the creative process. Although I have never met these individuals, I consider them friends. If I end up in the same city, I would do anything to enjoy a cup of coffee with them. And when I hit the “Publish” button, I glue my eyes to my Twitter feed to see which of them has an opinion first.

These individuals create the inspiration needed to throw something online. A quick Favourite here, a quick Mention there. Twitter’s smaller features have created the environment necessary for communities to thrive.

And I’m lucky enough to be a part of a small community.

This piece is dedicated to those guys. I love the feedback. I love the conversation. And I love the passion. Between Sid, Conor, The Typist, Scotty, Zac and most recently Brad, I’ve got a great group of friends who are there to guide me along this process.

More than that, and exactly like Sid stated previously, these “little guys” inspire a drive to create at a far greater level than any “big guy”. While the “big guy” drives interest and traffic, the “little guys” drive support and satisfaction.[4]

While I’m at it, I want to throw The Tech Block into this mix. They do a fabulous job of highlighting lowly writers like myself. On the same note, they are one of us “little guys”, especially in relation to Recode or The Verge. Despite not conversing with them on a daily basis, I consider The Tech Block as a leader in this small online community. ↩